1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for transmission of signalling data in cellular telecommunication networks. Especially, the invention is related to such a method as specified in the preamble of the independent method claim. 2. Description of Related Art
The current concept of a signalling radio bearer in the UMTS system (universal mobile telecommunication system) defines that there is only one radio bearer for signalling traffic between the cellular network and a mobile communication means. Both the RRC (radio resource control) and higher protocol layers use the same radio bearer, i.e. the same RLC (radio link control) entity. In some implementations it is possible to have two RLC entities for signalling traffic, one entity for unacknowledged mode transfer and one entity for acknowledged mode transfer. However, there is currently no means to treat these entities separately for example for setup, reconfiguration or release. The signalling radio bearer, sometimes called the signalling link, is set up during the RRC connection establishment procedure. In some implementations, it is even possible that the radio bearer service is actually provided by the PDCP layer. In this case the PDCP will run in transparent mode for signalling traffic.
Higher layer messages, such as MM (mobility management) or CM (connection management) layer messages are carried between a mobile communication means and the network in a RRC DIRECT TRANSFER message payload. The protocol stack is illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows an example of a partial protocol stack of a circuit switched core network (CN) domain, which protocol stack comprises connection management (CM) and mobility management (MM) protocol layers, and an example of a protocol stack of a packet switched core network domain, which protocol stack comprises session management (SM) and packet switched domain mobility management (PMM) protocol layers. Both of these protocol stacks communicate with the RRC (radio resource control) layer, which handles the transmission of the higher layer protocol messages in a RRC DIRECT TRANSFER MESSAGE payload. The radio link control protocol can be set up to provide unacknowledged or acknowledged data transmission service. Each RLC instance is configured by RRC to operate in one of three modes: transparent mode (Tr), unacknowledged mode (UM) and acknowledged mode (AM). The transparent and unacknowledged mode are used by some of the RRC signalling procedures. Majority of RRC signalling procedures including the Direct Transfer procedure utilize acknowledged mode transfer. The service that the RLC layer provides to upper layers is called radio bearer (RB). A radio bearer with the corresponding Iu bearer comprises a radio access bearer (RAB).
The problems with the prior art solution used at the time of writing this patent application are mainly related to priority control of signalling traffic. A problem can arise for example in a case, when a very long higher layer message is passed to RLC layer which buffers the message, and when a time critical RRC message also needs to be sent. In this situation, the RLC layer transmits the buffered messages first before transmitting more recent messages, which results in a delay of the time critical RRC message. Currently there are no mechanisms allowing priorization of more recent messages over those messages waiting in RLC transmission buffer. It is also possible that higher layer signalling such as MM and CM will need some prioritization means between the various higher layer protocols.
At the time of writing this patent application, a requirement has recently been identified which may finally require that several signalling radio bearers can be set up so that different QoS (quality of service) parameters can be used for different types of signalling. One solution for this requirement has been proposed. According to this solution, MM and higher layer signalling is carried over the air interface like any user traffic, in a separate radio bearer. This solution creates some problems related to integrity control functionxe2x80x94which is defined as a RRC layer functionxe2x80x94and to the existing procedures in Iu interface.
FIG. 2 illustrates protocol stack configuration for signalling transfer according to a recently proposed solution. According to this solution, signalling traffic of MM and other higher layer protocols are transmitted directly using PDCP services. In this solution, only function that would be required from PDCP layer is the integrity protection. According to the solution, either one user plane radio bearer is used for all higher layer signalling protocols or a separate user plane radio bearer is allocated for each higher layer protocol stack. In the example of FIG. 2 each CN domain employs a different radio access bearer (RAB) for signalling between UE and each CN domain. According to this solution, priority control between MM and RRC messages can be handled in RLC/MAC using normal radio bearer/logical channel priority control mechanisms.
This proposal has some disadvantages. For example, the proposed solution increases the complexity of the MM and PMM protocol implementations, since primitive interfaces are needed not only for the RRC protocol, but for the PDCP protocol as well. The proposed solution would also be an addition to current PDCP functions and change radically the basic function of PDCP as a packet service dependent sublayer. This would add complexity to the implementations of the PDCP protocol. Further, since PDCP is only intended for transmission of user plane traffic, in the proposed solution UE-CN signalling would be treated like user plane traffic, which implies that some modifications will most probably be needed also to the current Iu interface specifications. Further, in the proposed solution integrity protection needs to be implemented in two places: in PDCP layer for MM and higher layer signalling and in RRC layer for RRC signalling. As a consequence, the complexity of PDCP protocol increases and an additional header field is needed in PDCP data payload data units (PDU), since the integrity function requires a counter value to be transmitted with each piece of integrity protected data for use by the integrity protection algorithm.
An object of the invention is to realize a signalling method, which alleviates the aforementioned problems of prior art. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for transmission of control signalling, which allows determining of quality of service levels for different signalling traffic streams.
A still further object of the invention is to provide the aforementioned objects of the invention, without adding complexity in the protocol layers above the RRC protocol layer.
The objects are reached by setting up at least two signalling radio bearers for transmission of signalling traffic, and specifying rules for routing of higher layer signalling to the signalling radio bearers.
The method according to the invention is characterized by that, which is specified in the characterizing part of the independent method claim. The network element according to the invention is characterized by that, which is specified in the characterizing part of the independent claim directed to a network element. The mobile communication means according to the invention is characterized by that, which is specified in the characterizing part of the independent claim directed to a mobile communication means. The dependent claims describe further advantageous embodiments of the invention.
According to the invention, at least two signalling radio bearers are set up for transmission of signalling traffic and the cellular network configures how the signalling of higher layer protocols is mapped to said signalling radio bearers. Multiple radio bearers can be allocated for transferring signalling traffic, but all higher layer signalling is in any case taken through the RRC protocol.
In the inventive method, MM and higher layer messages are sent using RRC DIRECT TRANSFER messages, but separate RLC entities can be set up for RRC DIRECT TRANSFER messages. In various embodiments of the invention, separate radio bearers can be set up for individual CN domains and/or upper layer protocols and/or for a group of RRC messages.
Routing of messages to signalling bearers can advantageously be performed on the basis of CN domain identity information contained in every RRC DIRECT TRANSFER data unit. In embodiments, in which separate radio bearers are set up for different upper layer protocols or different groups of upper layer protocols, the routing of RRC DIRECT TRANSFER data units is advantageously performed on the basis of examination of the contents of data units and interpreting, with which protocol each data unit is associated.
The inventive method provides integrity protection of MM and higher layer messages as a consequence of the transmission of the messages in RRC DIRECT TRANSFER messages. The inventive method allows controlling of priority between MM and higher layer messages and RRC messages in the radio interface by adjusting the QoS parameters of bearers used to transfer the messages.